Aerator



p 1945- A. F. I-"LOURNOY 2,408,306

AERATOR Filed April 29, 1944 2 Zinnemox 7 otherwise supplied to the minnows.

Patented Sept. 24, 1946 UNITED STAT E A Algernon F. Flournoy, Shreveport, La.

1944, Serial No. 533,368

Application April 29,

My invention relates to aerators and more especially to a combination aerator and dip net for use in fishing with live bait.

. An object of my invention is to provide an aerator for keeping minnows alive in a; minnow bucket or other container while in transit to the fishing location and during the time of fishing. xAnotherxobject of my invention is to'provide an aerator fashionedin the shape of a smalldip net frametandprovided with a net adapting it to be used as adip net as well as an aerator.

It is the common experience of those who fish with live bait, minnows; to note that minnows willdie ina minnow .buck'etin a very short time a if thewater in which the minnows are swimming is not changed frequently. or fresh oxygen is This comes about by the fact that the minnows breathe up all of the oxygen in the water. It often occurs that a fisherman will buy abucket' of live minnows and will lose all or most of the minnows within about an hours time when traveling to the fishing ground.

Fishermen also know that a change of water will often stun the minnows to such an extent that they make very poor bait. This is especially true where the water environment of the minnows was first cold water and later warm water, say that of the fishing stream or lake. 7

While it is desirable to keep the minnows over the side of a boat in say the screened inner receptacle-of a-minnow'bucket, there are disadvantages in such a practice. Where this is done the minnow bucket has to befrequently lifted into the boat to rebait-the hooks. Another objection to this practice is that the minnow bucket hung over the side of a boat interferes with the maneuvering of the boat in brushy places which fishermen know are ideal fishing places for many types of fish.

In my accompanying drawing I have illustrated a preferred type of minnow aerator that'embodies my invention and two other modifications of this aerator.

Claims. (01. 43-47) cross-section of portions of the valve structure included in Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 1, C designates a container'which is partially filled with water W in which minnows 'M are shown swimming. My minnow aerator incorporates a tubular handle I whichis formed into an S bend 2 by means-of which my minnow aerator can be hung onthe vertical side wall of the container C. The lower end of the tubular handle I is formed into a ring 3 provided with perforations 4, the function of which will be explained later. The ring 3-serves as a dip net frame for'the mesh 5. My device thus far described constitutes a-practical dip net for dipping up minnows. A v

The bulb '6 attached to the upper end of the tubular handle I functions as a convenient handle in the use of my minnowaerator as a dip net. The ring 3 is formed in a plane extending substantially perpendicularto the tubular han dle.-- This feature of arrangement of the rings permits the ring 3 to be placed flat on the bottom of the container C when desired. This feature of arrangement is a decided improvement over prior art 'dip nets of this kind where the mesh sustaining loops lie in the same plane as the handle of such dip nets for my dip net'may be pulled vertically upward with a minimum disturbance of the water to trap unsuspecting minnoWs. In using the prior art type dip-net, minnows must be chased before they can be caught much asa butterfly is chased. In chasing the minnows about-in the minnow bucket with the prior art type of dip net, the fisherman cannot help butstir-up'mud; trash, minnow scales and the like debris settled on the bottom of the minnow bucket to the detriment of the minnows.

While my above description of my minnow aerator thus far is specifically directed to its application as a novel dip net, it is to be understood that my minnow aerator may be fashioned, also, in the shape of prior art dip nets within the scope of my invention.

In the preferred type of minnow aerator illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of my drawing, a hollow rubber bulb 5 is provided with an outer check valve 1 and an inner check valve 8, arranged to operate to permit air to be drawn into the hollow rubber bulb 6 during an expansion of the hollow rubber bulb 6 through the outer check valve 1 and to be expelled through the inner check valve 8 to thereafter emerge through the perforations 4 of the ring 3 when the bulb 6 is compressed. When the collapsed hollow rubber bulb 5 is allowed to expand, to draw in air through the outer check valve 1, the inner check valve 8 closes to prevent water from being drawn up into the bulb B.

The outer check valve 7 illustrated in Figure 5 includes a tubular valve body 111 which is provided with a pair of inwardly directed prongs 1b which are adapted to limit the opening movement of its movable valve closing plunger 1c. Since the prongs lb only partially close the inner opening of the tubular valve body 1a air is permitted to pass through the valve 1 when the valve closing plunger 10 is moved to the dotted line vided with acone shaped valve seat Be ground to make an airtight fit with the valve seat 80. When the compressed bulb 6 is allowed to expand the valve plunger 8d moves to closing position. When the bulb 6 is compressed again the valve plunger 8d moves to the dotted line open position. The opening movement of the valve plunger 8d is limited by the stop pin 8].

The reader should note that I- provide my ring 3 with many small perforations l. I do this purposely to distribute the expelled air in a multiplicity of fine bubbles to facilitate the absorption of theair into the water W.

When a fisherman uses my minnow aerator he simply hangs it on the side of the container containing the water W and minnows M, or rests-the ring 3 on the bottom of the container 0. In bothvcases the bulb will be extended in an upward convenient position to be squeezed. All that he has to do to keep his minnows alive is to frequently squeeze the bulb 6. When the fisherman actually begins fishing he manipulates my minnow aerator as a dip net in the manner above described and during the entire period of fishing he may keep his minnows inside of his boat in a convenient position and continue to supply his minnows with air with my minnow aerator.

In the modified form of minnow aerator partially illustrated in Figure 3, the variation in structure resides in the bulb l0 and the air port I I, preferably formed in the hollow metal tube l2, which tube I2 is otherwise a duplicate of the above described tube I carrying the net 5 and provided with perforations 4. The bulb I 0 is a hollow rubber bulb provided with an opening into which the end of the tube 12 is forced to make an air tight fit. The air hole II is used as the entrance port for the air which is drawn in by the expansion of the bulb It). When the air is expelled through the tube l2 into the water W the thumb T of the fisherman-s hand is placed over the air hole II to prevent air from escapin through it.

In the modified form of minnow aerator partially illustrated in Figure 4, the variation in structure resides in the bulb l5 which is provided with an air port It in position to be closed bya thumb Ttand the tube 1 1 extending from the bulb 15. The tube I! may extend straight and terminate in a net loop or it may be provided with an S bend such as the S bend 2 formed in the tube 1 as seen in Figure 1. In this modified form of my invention the thumb T of the hand serves as a valve for closing and opening the air port [6 in the same manner as the thumb T functioned as a valve for closing the air port H shown in the modified form of the invention illustrated by Figure 3. 7

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1.'A device of class described comprising a minnow net supporting frame fashioned out of a perforated portion of a hollow tube, a handle member extending from the frame consisting in an extension of a non-perforated portion of said tube, and a collapsible bulb mounted on said handle member, said bulb being adapted to expel air through said minnow net supporting frame.

2. The device as claimed in claim '1, wherein said collapsible bulb is provided with a pair of check valves adapted to regulate the admission of air into said bulb and regulate the expulsion of air from said bulb.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handle member is provided with an air hole positioned and adapted to be closed by a finger of a hand holding said bulb.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bulb is provided with an air .hole positioned and adapted to be closed by a finger of a hand holding said bulb.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said .minnow net supporting frame isfashioned in the form of a ring and is provided with aseries of spaced perforations extending lengthwise of the minnow net supporting frame.

ALGERNON F. FLOURNOY. 

